Murmur Digital Radio

We continue to talk about the movies that bother us. World-building has been strangely silent since The Matrix (1999), a concept originally left for dead, pushed forward into standard by will, belief, and a corps of indelible artists. Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce - two craftspeople first to join the legion - assemble here to add their DNA to our dish. Filmmaking with vision is a winnable war-of-art; to wit, the great irony of a film is can’t know we need one until it’s been made.

Oh, f'it, let’s actually talk about the film FIGHT CLUB @ Twenty - still the smartest delinquent in the room - with the man whose book-as-rolling-ball-of-art-and-confusion began a movie birthed by an apropos society of full-throated artists: Chuck Palahniuk. The film still can’t drink, but it’s no less a danger to society. Its meta and mythos are more than meets the eye, and its fever-pitch lives in Chuck’s own agnostic baptisms. Write what you know, perhaps; film what’s to remain, please. Oh, and, slide.

Henry Rollins — Professor Emeritus, The Modern School of Film — joins us in lovely, lovely Lima, Peru to triptych his life in three acts (i.e. three films) and continue our journey In:Pictures. His selections are as raw and ready-made as Henry; one indie, one Epic, one film family-photo one would sooner forget, but cannot. Blissfully, Robert Duvall came up a few times (read three) to boot. Henry never forgets, and his cinema, unsurprisingly, unforgiving. Welcome back, Professor. Thank you, Peru.

Once upon an art-form, the term "classically trained" meant something. For better and for worse. Wesley Snipes is the former, and we're the former for it. Dr. Snipes joined us in Monaco to look back and ahead at his range, his craftsmanship and, most importantly, to teach us how to take a punch. And a kick. All in a dance move or two.

Like the man sang, "It's never over". More than an 80's-lyric, though, while function is transient, what form's us, eternal. And gift-able. Singer/writer Ingrid Michaelson tiles the walls of both her home and her art with love and legacies that neither date, nor diminish. What transports her is the photo of the photo; the time of the time. Perhaps, in a world where the future is far less sexy, and less inconceivable, than ever, what's past is Epilogue. All those moments not lost in time. Rather held. Imperishable.

We've all asked where things come from; so, let's leap-frog that by asking where they go -- "somewhere" is not the right answer. Two from the frontline, though, know. Partners in life and in use -- Adam Gardner (who has been moonlighting with Guster for 20 years) and Lauren Sullivan (who had us at "perseverate") -- have been keeping global score for 15 years with their advocacy/progeny, Reverb; rallying artists to make "best use" of sonic bullhorns to repurpose the wakes that spread into the ties that connect. Ties that are never plastic. And, if so, never single-use. So, listen-up, then act. But not necessarily in that order.

Few states deadlock past/present/future in an immediacy all too real. And, though its sources constipate , its feels can softly (and not) extend into frontiers of fear, panic, paranoia, dread; and, in doses, motivation and movement. It lives with us, is not us, but is all about us. Matt Berninger of The National bravely sources the ubiquity of his anxieties and the agreement he’s struck — blessings are curses and vice versa. He’s here to draw a map, not a line; and to sit with, not run from, the disconnections we mistakenly deduce make us less than normal. So listen, think again, repeat.

If ever a genre was meant to appear, cloud, clear — then cloud again — it's the Western. Since it's birth, this most cinematic of forms has been chalked-up as storytelling scavenger, dusted, and left for dead, all ‘round the same campfire; only to see the most majestic of practitioners defending its frontier as reflector of morality, spinner of spirituality, and builder of fences around the seemingly unfence-ible [sic]. Unconvinced? Give a legend a shot — he has the pelts. Walter Hill digs up his unbreakable solace in the singularity pure/impure Western form; and, for no good measure, unearths a personal walk-through of its master gatekeepers, of which is he is a last artist standing.

Let's agree, it's advisable to not get your news from your art. Your art from your news, though? A longer story. At its height, art is a transposition of our existence in metaphor, in relief; never in reality. Jeffrey Toobin (CNN, The New Yorker) has uniquely messengered the Real for both digesters of journalism and of popcorn. Jeff knows a good yarn is a good yarn, even when the world deserves a “story by” credit. Hell, even Shakespeare knew as much. One can’t spell History without “story” nor facsimile without…well, you get the picture. So Storytellers look around — you can’t always “make this stuff up”; but, typically, you won’t need to.

Murmur at 100! Everything is everywhere. If you want to know it, hear it, celebrate it or drag it — it’s around. 24/7. Weekends, too. Ideas never sleep. For too few, such is the moment where a curiosity can be satisfied, or a bet settled. For too many, access has never been more accessible, nor girthier. Against all odds and sense, though, sometimes a true craftsperson (see Michael Rooker) joins the club; but, rather than wading in public pool of exhibition, Rooker sees exposure for what it is — a platform for art, a communion with fans — and is only fleeting forlorn about occasions when talk ain’t cheap. Then again, without cheap talk how would we know the difference?

A small handful of moments tie past, present, future in one. Leaving your work is such a matter. And when Art is your work, the conversation contaminates, beautifully. Groundbreaking actor Yaphet Kotto is not a reminisce'er by nature, but is he a retiree? And in a profession where one is arguably never hired to begin with, who is retiring from Art even up to? Perhaps, as Yaphet's work lives-on as dynamically than ever, retiring is one of those pesky mortal dilemmas. Our specialty, alas.

Few words have as many synonyms -- feedback, advice, counsel, opinion, review, evaluation, coaching, teaching; so on. None are the final say, though; and many, contrary to common belief, come from a light place. In a 30 year career, ESPN's Doris Burke has managed to harness said light amidst a myriad of undulating egos, agendas, points-of-view, pressures, and past-times. Her brain and her voice are always on-time and reflect a greatest hits of her teachers and coaches both intentional and otherwise. She knows that in terms of criticism, tone and intent is all, and naming names is the lowest lying fruit. So, before you cast off criticism, let go and listen to Doris tell some truth. Come on, now.

Subject : The Record. What do we leave behind? Everything. All those things we said and did and touched and felt. Our wake in our wake. Our record. Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Minor Threat) has been recording for decades; authoring, observing and riding the record as it ever spins. We want that name back! Records. Why waste an idea that covers it all? Ian sets his straight, or not.

A look back — a peek, not a stare — is the rudiment of progress. If we acknowledge humanity, art, culture, history, sex, athletics, politics et al are all in motion, so it stands that we develop as we develop; a greatest (and less-so) hits of the times we contain. Angie Dickinson - iconic actress, and purveyor of all the great film “feels”- befriends time in pairs; in clarity and in ignorance. Her past teaches her present — a present that capitulates seamlessly to Now, knowing the best stories and legends go unprinted. She also still loves it when people call her “Pepper”. Oh, Angie, indeed

Crying-wolf is all the rage. Danger being, lightening bugs have nothing in common with lightening, so people are typically too late to crisis. Thus, when strum and drang is our ring-tone, we need to revisit what deserves action and what deserves a cable cut. Strategist/Consultant/Teacher James Carville’s historic pole position has enabled a career of avoiding cracks and deflecting crisis both for-and-of all five estates. He’s also student and author of an inside vernacular that’s served both colleagues and causes well. There’s more to crisis than meets the ear, though; but, don’t panic, James will break it all down only to re-construct it by hour’s end.

Subject : Curiosity. You'll like this, it's pass/fail; or, rather, fail/pass. You either have this or you don't. You either are this or y'aren't. Yes, it can be transferred; but, it's best when encouraged or environments allow for it. You can't fake it, and it's far different than either intellect (though they couple well) or boredom (though this is easily mistaken.) You'll feel a certain "itch" at first then you'll need to set forth. Age is often both its confederate and its proof it's never to late. What is it? It's it. But do you have it? We think you already know. Singer/Writer/Painter Brandon Boyd of Incubus has it, ad absurdum et ad infinitum. ...Curious?

Subject : How Content Reflects Culture. There are limitless roads one many follow to pre-divine a culture - political, educational, infrastructural, even culinary. Amongst paths we've employed, one standard, hypnotic, vexing version is to simply open our eyes; particularly when we travel, specifically as lingual outsiders. Mercifully actor/creator Stephen Mangan tour-guides us through the triumphs and trapdoors of UK artistic content and what it's smallest forms - at the very least - intone about his nation and content gifts both given and received. Stephen's work, as his insight, crosses ponds effortlessly, including our favorite UK content confection "panel shows". Some artistic diplomacy has it's limits, however. Such are the benefits of home.

SUBJECT : RISK Our boldest actions lie in the eye of the beholder. Seldom do the doers of deeds self identify - such is the case with risk and its takers. Let's prove our case to Serj Tankian (System of a Down) defier of stop signs he's blind to. Be it personal, political, cultural, artistic, vocational or the myriad forms of vocal, Serj moves forward; success or loss notwithstanding. His measure is always on his terms, and we're thankful he knows no better. Perhaps ignorance is risk.

SUBJECT : COMMUNITY Arguably no word or concept sounds more above inspection than Community. So, of course, let's go. Jonathan Coulton has sought out, been part of, builds, and guides his very "own" Community. Sounds great. It is. But there are privileges that can to advantages and onward towards exclusions, as every donut has a hole. Groups and groupings are under siege and their diverse whereabouts scream out for dialogue. Jonathan helps fill in this space, by land and by sea.

SUBJECT : COLLABORATION Our most-requested subject/topic/tool/albatross, present in everything we do, do all the time. Some humans readily concede this premise, others are sluggish studies. One artist who might prefer to be remembered as a collaborator-above-all is legendary band leader and member Johnny Marr. Professor Marr embodies as pure a study - and as reliable an authority - on working with others, as the history of art can conjure. His story IS history, and it's found him in groups, continually; working in service to a greater goal, remarkably. Architect of legendary, resonant chords - not the least of which have very little to do with sound itself - Johnny understands that transcendent ideas are found in groups; both in spite of, and often due to, their imperfections.

Topic : HARMONY. When sounds come together and form sound, the ear is intrigued. On-alert for no good reason other than its encounter with sonic perfection. Harmony is that perfection. Harmony is hermetic - lacking either panic or uncertainty - as there is usually safety in number. Neko Case knows her (art) gangs and, as a practice, her harmonies. Not only a siren of modern myth and neo-story, Professor Case is proof of harmony's power to nourish and redeem; even if humans aren't always getting along. She authors her art en masse; and the environment remains (as do we), eternally grateful.

TOPIC: Learning to Teach – We've concluded that teaching is no more than exploring a series of opposites: Talking/Listening, Acting/Reacting, Translating/Declaring, Planning/Improvising, Progressing/Remaining, Macro/Micro, Global/Local, Inside/Outside, Human/Inhumane, Art/Science.  Have we covered it all?  Not a chance.  So, let's ask Alexis Krauss, whose groundbreaking work as a teacher not only draw-drops her legions of (Sleigh Bells) fans and mountainsides of students past and present; but, inspires more answers than questions.  As only great teacher can.  Class is truly in session.  Does everyone have a pencil?

The Invisible Composer.  As competition for our visual receptors is at an all-time-high, are we forgetting to hear the score?  Be it large or small screen.  Or are we simply unable to locate it?  In either case, forgive us as there is currently a run on cerebral noise in our moving imagery: oversized cinematic "heroes", stories where humanity (itself) hangs in the very balance, larger resumes in tighter spaces, and small-screen writing that is as hypnotic as ever.  Fear not, true believer!  As no modern composer cuts through the synaptic-thicket with quite the dexterity and audacity of Tyler Bates.  His tireless loyalty to story, character, collaborator, history, and galaxy place him firmly, yet miraculously on the barrier between music, sound, and noise.  Yet, it's Tyler's most unrequited love that consistently wins us over -- Silence. 

When Conversation Is Art.  In an age where rhetoric is mistaken for communication, let's spare a thought for times we've spoken, been heard, then returned such favor with our own.  Now, take a moment and count how many of those moments you've had, recently.  Finished counting, already?  Us, too.  Iconic creator Tom Scharpling ("The Best Show") has made communication art & craft his life's work; an unending series of conversations both true and false; hilarious, yet deceptively insightful.  Sadly, in our experience, with the potential of real talk comes a real downside.  Particularly when one's "job" resembles what one was taught to do as a human being.  Who knew conversation could be so heartbreaking?  

Hometown Art & Artists.  Let's explore the fuel, fate, and fascination of the artist who lives and creates outside of "traditional" centers of art; such as New York, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo and elsewhere.  Do artists who defy these hubs of creative traffic do themselves a vocational disservice, or have they discovered the 21st Century's worst-kept-secret?  To wit, we've established that an artist needs an audience, but how large a one?  And are artists even entitled to that ever-elusive work/life/sanity balance?  The well-traveled, oft-acclaimed John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats (currently based in Durham, North Carolina, USA) could be onto something...and we don't mean merely a better price-per-square-foot.  

WORLD PREMIERE : Mike Patton.  We are honored to present both the World Premiere of a track from Mike's unforgettable score to the film "1922" -- a script adapted from the novella by Stephen King -- and to talk cinephilia with one of the great living polymathic plumbers.  To be able to visit Movie Dorkdom with Mike is as humbling as it is rare. Yet, though Dorkdum certainly has its privileges, can you love something too much be able to make it your vocation?  Mike is living and scoring proof to the contrary.  Perhaps you have to love it to do as well as he has for so long and in so many formats.  Even plumbers love their pipes.

The DJ.  Certain figures, certain forms, certain words survive in time because they were simply great from the jump.  The DJ has gone from "great idea" to "transcendental figure" in no time.  And, as the age of curation only strengthens, so shall the spell this hybrid artist (half-lover/half-craftsperson) casts.  Cue: pioneering DJ, Pete Tong!  There is an underbelly, however; as the DJ-life is, ironically, not for the romantic.  Long nights short rests, and expectations to mix for the masses.  Hang the DJ?  Nah.  Long may he and she reign/rain.

Identity.  The classic ideal of identity is a detriment.  The Stoics should have been more clear -- yes, "Know Thyself"; however, know that you are the sum total of multiple compounds, not merely a carrier identity.  Kevin Barnes knows this.  His many faces, styles, curiosities, sounds, stories, genres, personae...are all one.  Oh, and by the way, he's also a huge Cleveland sports fan who loves a meditative baseball game at the Jake.  Surprised?  Here's your chance to not be.

The Rockstar.  Certain ideas need to be revisited; surprisingly, this is one.  It is our p.c. culture that's taken it from us?  Is it our long-overdue examination of what allowances artistic professionals are granted?  Or, is it that everyone now is called a "Rockstar" except Rockstars?  Only one occupant of interplanetary craft can untie this knot - Frankie Poullain of The Darkness - offering-up his own definition of the word; who's "in", who's "out", and who should be scared.

Legacy.  A maddening topic, typically deflected.  Perhaps, as with cats, there are far too many variables to manage; rather, as with Rashomon, no two people see their legacies, let alone those of others, similarly.  To make matters more vexing, when one's legacy is connected to nine other Killa Beez (aka The Wu) straight from the slums of Shaolin, why even bother?  We trouble U-GOD with our complexes; he, in turn, picks-up the flag and holds it high and, as always, raw.

Art as Autobiography.  Consider the source of all painting, cinema, music, performance, and literature.  Genre notwithstanding.  The source is Self.  Life.  Details, echos, remembrances and references of our "real" life, midwifed into creation.  Conscious or not, narrative or not -- art is always about what we're going through at the time.  Acclaimed writer Paul Auster probably disagrees.  And he should.  As this author of iconic literature - including five memoirs (!) - has always been in the eye of the self-reflexive storm of creating, he would only feel its calm.  Assuming there is one.

SUBJECT : TEACHING FILM A subject uniquely-near to us. Can film be taught? Yes. Should film be taught? That's up to the instructor. An instructor we'd never let down is filmmaker Guy Maddin who has made teaching a subtle advocation for the past several years. The film students at Harvard were exposed to this genius artist, begging the questions -- do advanced degrees make the film teacher? Is teaching an art? And what are film students truly signing on for when they study a craft and history that's concise and finite-enough to learn autodidactically? In the hands of Professor Maddin, learning film is merely an excuse to go to class.

The Artist-as-Parent.  Singer/songwriter/musician José González provides us an exclusive, beyond-rare opportunity to share his (and Mom's) navigation of the early months, hours, days, and seconds of their baby Laura's life.  Do artist/parents read "how-to" books or are they uniquely intuitive?  To wit, does parenting make artists of us all, or fools?  It's also humbling which decisions are made pre-birth, pre-sound, pre-geography, pre-art.  Laura, naturally, will have the final say.

Faith. In all forms. Secular, religious; man-made and ephemeral. What gets you out of bed, everyday? Efrim Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mount Zion) reviews his own journey in-and-out-of Faith. Totems useful and elusive. Is religious-faith the only kind possess-able? In the absence of faith is meaning even possible? And, are artists priests of a sort? Light topics for a complex mind.

Fear.  A baseline for many.  That timeless of motivators; back and forth.  Such thins line, though, as fear continually masquerades as hate (and "phobia").  Hamed Sinno of the band Mashrou' Leila has been banned, labeled, censored, cursed, followed, chased, reviled, revered, applauded, lauded, targeted and blamed; yet, never silenced.  Fearless.  Well, maybe a fear or two has crept (and crawled) in along the way.  No one is immune, entirely.

The two edges of "Intelligence".  One is steeped in curiosity, humility, and understanding; the other, in fear, judgement, and power.  Which will you choose and how will you apply it?  Here, filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer carves us a path; including the value in words such as "genius", "master", "masterpiece"; and whether or not art can in fact increase one's "Intelligence".

Don't be a tourist, be a traveller... or, so they say.  But do they also say that to musicians?  If so, then why do most musicians continue to "tour"?  Is it a means of rebooting?  Surviving?  Seeking?  Erasing?  Healing?  Communing?  Curing?  Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) has utilized movement as a agent for all of the above; as well as a conduit for lessons he continues to pass on.  Lessons co-promised both in art and in love.

Most pioneers are dead. So when we have one on the show, it’s humbling. Especially one we grew up listening to Monday-Friday for five-and-a-half hours a day; once for 24hours straight. As Mike Francesa has left his weekly radio show and “power chair” after 30 years, we (and he) finally get our lives back. So, let’s talk about it with the man, himself -- A teacher without students. An artist without a brush. The icon who now seeks a new audience.

There is a word that signifies a perpetual state of fandom.  A state that artists never surrender to, no matter how accomplished or revered their work.  The word... Mondo.  Edison, Welles, Kubrick were Mondo; so was Picasso.  Jock is a modern master of this über-genre; an artist whose singular DNA can be seen in his best-selling posters for Carpenter’s “The Thing”, Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” & Deodato’s “Cannibal Holocaust”; as well as in Ava/"Ex Machina" and an Aurebesh Easter Egg he left for his son in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (a small, indie film in which Jock served as Costume Concept Artist.)

There is an internal, human art to acting, independent of the technical execution of craft. Which human elements feed that mechanism? Or, as Brando once said, are we all “merely actors, everyday”? For Jeff it begins and ends with two gifts; one from his mom (his “first acting teacher”) and one from his dad. We’ll give you a hint... Time and Love. Five years in the making, Jeff joins us to cover the Art of the Actor, up to and including (sigh) the art of retirement. Rage on.

Is there an art to life? An approach to how we live that could be considered Art? Bourdain - inveterate storyteller, unreliable narrator, and Professor Emeritus of The Modern School of Film - joins us to untie & regift the notion of Existence-as-Art; and, how Fairness, Freedom, Luck, Timing, Nepotism, Narcissism, Location, Faith, Kindness, Risk, Yakuza Tattoos, Feigned Smiles, and French & Italian Cinema, all factor in.

Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics, NY Times bestselling-author, and founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight, Dan Ariely sits with us for a MurmurMeta. Spoiler alert: by chat's end we've bared our soul at the altar of Dan's singular brilliance, which of course leads to some homework; namely, one of Professor Ariely's celebrated experiments. Have a listen, then watch this space for the results...

The notion and definition of Character feels up for grabs right now - politically, professionally, geographically, nationally, sexually, artistically - so let’s take a look at it. Rather, let’s ask an artist of multiple personae - writer/actor/co-lead singer of STARS - Torquil Campbell to help us understand what underpins Character and what needs and choices have shaped his. Also, in the true spirit of American Thanksgiving, we’ll clear-up some Canadian myths, once-and-for-all. All in our own diplomatic manner, of course.

Do you have to love a subject in order to photograph it?  Do you have to love a story so much you’d risk your life to tell it?  Do you have to love something you’ve created enough to kill it?  Genius photographer/journalist/artist Lynsey Addario joins us to lay it on the line, as she always does.  ...Ain't love grand?

Have you ever considered the "where" creation happens? A room, a studio, a factory, a field, a street? For musician/singer Bonnie “Prince” Billy, creation and art began/begins at a home built into a the side of hill. Listen as Bonnie “Prince” takes a brave detailed look with us at the rooms that nurtured him, the family that fed him, and the personae that have helped him complete the circle.

Writer/Creator/Comedian Streeter Seidell (staff writer for Saturday Night Live) has some of the wisest insights we’ve heard for emerging funny people, including: what confidence has to do with comedy, the volume and value of the web-series for young comics, and how many "after parties" SNL actually has.  We'll get there someday and report our findings.

Please...no more irony.  No more post-modernism.  No more hidden messages.  Our head is about to explode!  The work of musician/composer/creator Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) engages our sense of love as much as he does our IQ.  He is a multi-generational human resource for all-things sonic and visual; private and cinematic; high and low.  Just the way we like our art.

The new world requires new maps. We. In turn, need new cartographers to help us redraw the journey of the "Entrepreneur", the "Innovator", the "Risk-taker". Soledad O'Brien has reinvented these titles as swiftly as she's earned them; and, friends, she's just getting started.

Hampton Fancher, screenwriter/architect for BLADE RUNNER both then & now, joins us to discuss all of the impossibly random steps that led us back to 2049, including: bumping into Ray Bradbury on the street, chasing Charles Bukowski down in New York, and what a Nazi officer's diary taught Philip K. Dick about empathy. When the legend becomes fact, (still) print the fact.

With the passing of legendary Steely Dan co-father, Walter Becker, we're humbled to be joined by actor/writer/bassist Harry Shearer as he reflects on Mr. Becker and Mr. Donald Fagen's legendary musical progeny. From the beautiful imperfection of Donald's voice; to Walter's insight into Derek Small's kidneys; to the value of collaborative tension -- Harry reels it all in.

Artist James Jean (pictured here w/Mr. Sun) explores the artist's fear of and need for Exposure. James is a singular creator who counts amongst his collaborators - Darren Aronofsky, Gerard Way, and the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. James likes to disappear; but we found him, and now so can you.